Search the EL Gazette

Defectors struggle with English in South Korea

Around a third of defectors who’ve escaped from North Korean to start a new life in South Korea and then go on to university say they are considering taking time out from university, or even dropping out. Some of these assimilating defectors, surveyed by the Korea Development Institute, were struggling with English to the point that they wanted to take a break from university to improve their English as they ‘cannot keep up with course content.’

The estimated 30,000 defectors have had hardly any exposure to English back in the Democratic Republic, most arrive with ‘minimal’ English according to Munhwa Ilbo. A very high proportion of South Koreans – around 80 per cent – go into tertiary education – for which they usually need some English.